The Golem

The coaster cart climbed up the steep hill with great tenacity as Katie tightly grasped Frankie’s hand.

“I-If you’re scared… you- you can hold onto me, alright?” She whimpered.

“Yeeeeah. Sure.” Frankie sighed sarcastically.

“Don’t you dare insult this epic thrill ride by claiming it’s anything less than the earth-shakingly terrifying experience it was made to be, or there’ll be hell to pay.” Drew ordered from behind her.

“Whatever, asshole.” Frankie uttered quietly under the sounds of excited quests.

“What did you say?” Questioned Drew.

“Whatever, asshole!”

“WHAT?” He asked again over the noise of the other riders.

“I SAID-“ Frankie was interrupted as the cart shook without reason, the indoor climb reaching its end as they emerged into the open air, the drop ahead fully visible.

“WHAT?”

“I SAID- WHATEVER, ASS-

At a million miles per hour, they were all sent hurtling towards what felt like certain death.

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLE——-!”

Frankie, her sister, and Drew all screamed together as the drop just went on and all. Katie cried and laughed simultaneously, gripping onto her like a baby.

“AHAHA! YES! SEE? YOU ARE SCARED! AND YOU DO RESPECT THE PARKS!” Drew instigated, still screaming his lungs out. “GREAT! THANK YOU VERY MUCH! SEE, THAT’S ALL I ASKED! AHAHAHA! WOOOO!”

Twisting her seatbelt, Frankie turned around mid-drop, draining all emotion from her face as she left only her cold, unfeeling eyes.

“Who said… I was scared?”

“YOUUUUUU BASSSSTAAAAAAARDDDD!” Drew shouted, enraged beyond belief. As the first curve hit them at the bottom of the turn, Frankie was shaken forward again, neck burning from the shift.

“Agh…”

“YOU’LL SCREAM AFTER THE NEXT DROP! I KNOW YOU WILL!” Drew roared.

“Like hell!” Shouted Frankie, turning back only her eyes to see the insufferable lad this time around.

Through eight turns and three loops, Frankie did not scream once. As Katie threw her lungs out, she remained completely calm, crossing her arms under the restraints. But as they started to ascend to the second and final drop, Drew couldn’t help but start laughing, the cart pointing directly upward as they came face-to-face with the burning sun.

“GOOD LUCK GETTING OUTTA THIS ONE, GIRLIE… YOU’RE ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE TWELVE STRAIGHT G’S OF FORCE WHILE YOU HEAD DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE FREAKIN’ GROUND! CAN YOU HOLD IT IN THIS TIME?!”

Frankie made the mistake of bending around to turn towards him again, right before the fall.

“I don’t give a damn no matter how many “Gee’s” or whatever this stupid thing HAS-

Like a bullet, they all shot straight down, Frankie’s spine burning as the force pinned her in the direction of Drew’s cackling, screaming face.

“HAHAHAHA- AAAAAAH! TAKE THAT, HAHA- AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!”

Frankie looked at him with the fury many times that of the sun they’d just seen seconds ago, her mouth pressed tightly against the back of the seat as the leather helped to hold in all the terror that was bubbling in her throat.

“I will not scream. I will not scream.” She told herself, over and over again. “I’m not gonna let this loser win!”

But as the downward force seemed to only grow greater and greater, the physical toll of being stuck turned around started becoming far too much to bear. She didn’t even need to scream from the drop anymore- rather the pain or being forced into this unseemly position.

“Scream. You KNOW you want to.”

Seeing that suck-up’s face, however… was enough motivation for her to face even the worst punishment. Slowly, fighting against the current of the wind, she pried her mouth from the black leather of the seat- and right in front of the young Parker, gave the most disinterested, apathetic face she could muster.

Drew wailed in horror as the speed of the coaster shook him around in his seat.

“I bet mom and dad are in space about now…” Frankie thought to herself under all the noise.